Seeing him then, he made the sort of half-obeisance of a man that does not know whether he is addressing a gentleman or a servant, or, maybe, a scamp, going about with a prospectus.
Puff had been bit in the matter of some maps in London, and was wary, as all people ought to be, of these birds.
The stranger came sidling up with a half-bow, half-touch of the hat, drawling out: ''Sceuuse me, sir--'sceuuse me, sir,' with another half-bow and another half-touch of the hat.

'I'm Mister Bragg, sir--Mister Richard Bragg, sir; of whom you have most likely heard.' 'Bragg--Richard Bragg,' repeated our friend, thoughtfully, while he scanned the man's features, and ran his sporting acquaintance through his mind's eye.
'Bragg, Bragg,' repeated he, without hitting him off.
'I was huntsman, sir, to my Lord Reynard, sir,' observed the stranger, with a touch of the hat to each 'sir.' 'Thought p'r'aps you might have known his ludship, sir.

Before him, sir, I held office, sir, under the Duke of Downeybird, sir, of Downeybird Castle, sir, in Downeybirdshire, sir.' 'Indeed!' replied Mr.Puffington, with a half-bow and a smile of politeness.
'Hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir,' continued the stranger, with rather a significant emphasis on the word '_dogs_'-- 'hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir, it occurred to me that possibly I might be useful to you, sir, in your new calling, sir; and if you were of the same opinion, sir, why, sir, I should be glad to negotiate a connexion, sir.' 'Hem!--hem!--hem!' coughed Mr.Puffington.

'In the way of a huntsman do you mean ?' afraid to talk of servitude to so fine a gentleman.
'Just so,' said Mr.Bragg, with a chuck of his head, 'just so.

The fact is, though I'm used to the grass countries, sir, and could go to the Marquis of Maneylies, sir, to-morrow, sir, I should prefer a quiet place in a somewhat inferior country, sir, to a five-days-a-week one in the best.